Amazing Nature: Causes for sea star wasting still a mysteryDuring the winter holidays we surround ourselves with the symbols of Christmas; snowflakes, lights, bells, evergreen trees and stars. Some of these season’s cheers have an obvious origin (snowflakes for winter time, and lights to give cheer to your local electric company), in others the symbolism is more complicated and relates to various traditions from around the world. I would love to know how many Kodiak famil...

In Orthodox Nativity, anticipation comes before celebration“354 days until Christmas and people have their lights up already.” So goes a posting on Facebook. Christmas lights and music are hard to let go of. Some of the post-Christmas celebrants are anticipating “Russian Christmas,” which occurs Jan 7. This disparity in dates is due to various Orthodox churches’ use of the Julian instead of the widely-accepted Gregorian calendar in acknowledging holidays. Orthodox Church ...

Kodiak downed by BethelA new year didn’t bring in different results for the Kodiak boys basketball team. The Bears’ losing skid hit four games with a 53-33 loss to Bethel in the first round of the Lime Solar/Pepsi Invitational Thursday at Anchorage Christian High School. Kodiak stands at 0-4 and will look to get its first win of the season at 1:30 p.m. today against Point Hope. The Harpooners fell to tournament host Anchorage Christian....

Teeing Off: Gizmo takes aim at playoff predictionsThe NFL’s second season starts Saturday with Wild Card Weekend. It also gives Gizmo a chance to redeem himself from a horrible Week 17 performance. The canine must have not been feeling well, as he incorrectly picked all three of his games last week. That dropped his season record to 18-21. Thanks Santa. Gizmo was bouncing with enthusiasm when I laid down the picks in front of him Thursday. Maybe it was just the s...

Service, West Valley top the rankingsThe Service boys and West Valley girls top the 4A charts in the recent Alaska Association of Basketball Coaches poll. Service (7-0) won the Doc Larson’s Roundball Classic with a 60-55 win over 3A Barrow on Wednesday in Wasilla. The Whalers (9-2) are ranked second in the 3A class and have only lost to 4A Service and East Anchorage this season. West Anchorage (0-1), Wasilla (2-2), East Anchorage (2-1) and West Valle...

Alleged drug dealer caught after creeping around police chief’s houseTrespassing and illegal drug use were not the only bad decisions a Kodiak man seems to have made before Alaska State Troopers caught him — after he allegedly lurked around the home of the city’s top cop, officials said Thursday. Police chief Ronda Wallace and her husband, David Spellman, originally reported to the troopers that someone was prowling around their house with a flashlight Tuesday, according to court d...

OUR 2014 TOP STORIESWho says Kodiak is not America’s news capital? In 2014, several news stories splashed the Emerald Isle on the news map — not just in Alaska but nationwide. The conviction of the man behind the killings at the Coast Guard communications station signaled the start of hot stories in 2014 for the Kodiak Daily Mirror, but news became hotter when the Kodiak Launch Complex aborted its rocket flight test on Aug. 25, causi...

Proposed compost facility open for commentThe proposed City of Kodiak facility to turn sewage sludge into compost is open for public comment. The facility is currently undergoing the permitting process, which includes a public comment period. The Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation has received the city’s permit application permit and proposes to issue the permit. The location is currently borough property, which the borough will transfer to t...